Father of autistic boy punched by school worker sues for $5 million

A New York City dad is suing the city for $5 million after his 11-year-old autistic son was punched in the head by a teacher's aide.

But Milton Parker, from Brooklyn, said the assault on Anatoly Veltman in August 2014 was a "reflex" because the boy hit him first.

"Who gets hit and doesn’t respond?" Parker told the New York Daily News.

Parker, who is black, said just before the assault the boy told him his table was "for whites only".

He pleaded guilty to assault last April and sentenced to an anger management course.

The boy's father, Anatoly Veltman Snr, is now suing Parker and the New York City government for $5 million.

Parker, 59, is representing himself in the lawsuit and says video of the incident proves he acted in self-defence.

It shows the boy, who reportedly has a mental capacity of a six-year-old, smacking Parker in the eye, before being punched in the side of the head.

"I knew it was on camera. If it was intentional, I would have taken him to another room and beaten the snot out of him," Parker said.

Parker, who worked for the education department for 26 years, says the incident has forced him into early retirement and "destroyed his life".